Snowfall hits McHenry County in May

A commuter approaches the Metra station in Fox River Grove Friday, May 16, 2014. The national weather service has issued a flood advisory for the region until Sunday morning. Snow or rain is expected until Saturday morning.

CRYSTAL LAKE – It wasn't the return of the polar vortex, but the minor snowfall Friday morning in McHenry County reminded residents that this past winter was a frozen one.

Snowfall in mid-May is not common for suburban Chicago, but it has happened before – and later – in the spring season, said National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Steeley. The latest snowfall on record for Chicago was June 2, 1910, she said.

"It's not common, but it's not record breaking," Steeley said. "I wouldn't have thought snow would have happened. Hopefully, we are good to go now."

Snow accumulations that covered lawns were first spotted west of the Chicago suburbs around 5 a.m., before the mixed rain and snowfall worked its way east to northern suburbs like Gilberts, Crystal Lake and Mundelein.

A still cool lower atmosphere, moisture and overnight temperatures that dropped to the mid 30s caused the snowfall, the weather service said, as residents in the county continued to thaw from a winter that brought record snowfall and subzero temperatures.

The snow in McHenry County subsided around 9:30 a.m., Friday, before turning into rain. The minor snow accumulations should melt by the afternoon, as temperatures were expected to reach the upper 40s.

Temperatures should reach the mid 50s Saturday and possibly the mid 60s by Sunday – with sunny skies.